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CHA P. IV.

Some paffages in the new teftament concerning the book of pfalms.

THE quotations are very numerous. Christ and his apostles often refer to the pfalms, and make a direct application of them: For they all treat of him, as indeed the whole volume of revelation does. He is the spirit and life of all the bible: But there is no part fo particularly, and fo frequently applied to him, as the book of pfalms. We know the subject of the cxth from infallible authority

it is the heavenly government of kingmediator, who is David's fon, and yet David calleth him his Lord: For he was God and man in one Chrift. His own ufe of the pfalms is very remarkable: He fung them, and quoted them. At his laft paffover he joined with his apoftles in the pfalms commonly used upon that occafion. St. Matthew fays, "When "they had fung an hymn," which is fuppofed to be part of the grand hallelujah, beginning at the cxiiith, and ending with the cxviiith pfalm. Hereby our Lord not only made ufe of, but also ap

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plied thofe divine hymns to himself, he being indeed the very pafchal lamb flain in type from the foundation of the world, and now about to take away fin by the facrifice of himself. And after he had by his fufferings and death made a full atonement, and was rifen from the dead, he reproved his two difciples as they were going to Emmaus, and he said unto them, Luke xxiv. 25. "O ye without under

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ftanding, how flow of heart are ye to "believe all that the prophets have "fpoken! Ought not Chrift to have "fuffered thefe things, and to have en"tered into his glory? And beginning

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at Mofes he expounded unto them "from all the prophets the things written "of himself in all the fcriptures." And among the rest he expounded unto them out of the pfalms, as his cuftom was: For when he appeared to his apostles to confirm them in the belief of his refurrection, he faid unto them, "These are "the words, which I fpake unto you, "while I was yet with you, that all things "must be fulfilled, which were written "in the law of Mofes, and in the prophets, and in the pfalms concerning me. Then opened he their underftandings that they might understand "the fcriptures." Here he declares that C 3

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the pfalms were written concerning himfelf. Not only here and there a paffage, or an allufion, not only the quotations in the new teftament, but the whole volume throughout is concerning him. Upon whatever occafion the pfalmift compofed any of them, yet it was only a cafe to fpeak upon, in order to introduce what was to be faid concerning the divine perfon, and the divine work of the Meffiah. This is the spiritual use and defign of the pfalms. And every man, whose underftanding the Lord has opened, as he did his difciples, can fee them in this light. The veil being taken away, he beholds Christ with open face, and every pfalm fhews to him fome lovely feature of his moft lovely Saviour. Therein he reads of the divine and human nature of Immanuel, his life and death, his refurrection and afcenfion, his kingdom and glory. He understands the fcriptures, and with the joy of his heart receives what is therein written concerning the God of his falvation.

Agreeably to our Lord's own ufe of the pfalms, we find the whole church of believers with one accord using them in the fame manner. The inftance recorded in Acts iv. is remarkable, because the reference, which they made to the pfalms, indifputably

indifputably proves, that they are written concerning Chrift. Peter and John had been imprisoned for preaching Jefus, but being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priefts and elders had faid unto them: And when they heard that, they lift up their voice to God with one accord, and faid, "Lord, thou art God, who haft "made heaven and earth, and the fea, " and all that in them is: Who by the "mouth of thy fervant David haft said, why did the heathen rage, and the

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people imagine vain things? The kings "of the earth ftood up, and the rulers "were gathered together against the "Lord and against his Chrift: For of a "truth against thy holy child Jefus, "whom thou haft anointed, both Herod "and Pontius Pilate, with the gentiles, " and the people of Ifrael were gathered "together, for to do whatfoever thy "hand, and thy counfel determined be"fore to be done." Here the whole church under the fpecial influence of the holy Spirit applies the iid pfalm to Christ, and declares its accomplishment in himhe being of a truth the very perfon of whom it treats: Which is decifive evidence, and must determine the point even

to a demonstration with all that believe the fcriptures.

It is not to be wondered then, that the apoftles fhould follow the fame rule in explaining the pfalms. Peter quotes them and refers them to Chrift. In his first fermon recorded Acts ii. he applies the xvith pfalm to the refurrection of Chrift, and he brings the cxth to prove, that Christ had all power in heaven and earth, and fhould fit at the right hand of Jehovah, until all his enemies fhould be made his footstool. In the fourth chapter of the Acts, he fhews that Chrift was the ftone fet at nought by the Jewish builders, who nevertheless should be made the head of the corner, as it is in the cxviiith pfalm. Peter had no doubt concerning the application of the pfalms to Chrift, and his beloved brother Paul fhews he was of the fame opinion.

We have an account of his manner of preaching among the Jews: "He "ufed to reafon with them out of the

fcriptures, opening and alledging, that "Chrift must needs have suffered, and "rifen again from the dead, and that "this Jefus, whom I preach unto you "is the Chrift." And among the other fcriptures he did not forget the pfalms : For we, in Acts xiii, have a whole fer

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